Hydraulic screening



April 15, 1952 A sEARLiS' HYDRAULIQ scREEgING 3 Sheets-Sheet j 1 Filed May 7 1948 IN VEN TOR.

w mmf April 15, 1952 A. sEARLES mmmwmc- SCREENING s sheets-smet 2 IN VEN TOR.

April 15, 1952 5 sheets-sheets Filed May 7, 1948 JNVENToR. Maf J' Patented Apr. 15, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,592,605 HYDRAULIC SCREENING Amos Searles, Scranton, Pa.

Application May 7, 1948, Serial No. 25,539

M 8 Claims.

This invention relates to hydraulic screening and has for its primary object to increase the ie'iiiciency and thoroughness of screening operaions. It has heretofore been proposed to provide an inclined screen with steps or riilies underneath it. In accordance with such prior proposals, material to be screened together with wash-water are deposited at the upper end of the screen. The steps or rifiles underneath the screen come near to the screen at separated points, being designed to produce a series of waves or ripples which flow upwardly through the screen from underneath for dislodging material which may tend to clog the mesh of the screen. i

The principal thus proposed for keeping the screen mesh open and freely operating is a desirable one, but the prior art structures have not worked well in practice. The principal reason for this is that the material that has passed through the screen tends to accumulate upstream from the riies and to alter the contour of the stream bed, so that the character of ow is not the desirable one which would be obtained if the stream bed retained its original contour. Instead the amplitude of the Waves is greatly reduced so that the wash-water tends to flow rapidly along above the level of the riiiles and above and below the screen. Return of all the washwater, moreover, to the upper side of the screen tends to carry the undersize material up through the screen, and, in a measure to defeat the very purpose of the sizing apparatus.

In accordance with the present invention the above mentioned drawback is overcome by pro- `viding an inclined screen and a novel arrangement of water deectors beneath the screen to cause the water to surge upwardly through the screen at intervals, the deflectors being terminated at their lower edges somewhat above the stream bed, so that there is a free flow space underneath the deflectors for carrying away the Vsettled material and thereby avoiding accumulation of it. With this kind of arrangement the originally intended contour is maintained and the originally intended flow characteristics of the water are maintained.

The cross-sectional form of the deilectors and `the disposition oi them are very important.

2 i tending to disturb and recontaminate the deected water be avoided. It is desirable, therefore, that the deflectors incline only slightly away from the trough and that they present a sharp flow dividing edge to and against the stream ow. which at the operable pitch of the screen and trough has considerable velocity.

In accordance with a further feature of the invention the material to be separated is deposited upon the screen at the upper end thereof and the principal body of the wash-water may be introduced from underneath the screen so that it tends to pick up the deposited material and carry it along.

In accordance with a still further feature of the invention, further wash-water is projected at intervals along the screen in a direction counter to the general direction of flow, this water serving to retard and agitate the material fiowing over the screen and to retard the speed of flow, thus assisting in screen selection.

An apparatus embodying the novel features above referred to operates very satisfactorily, and

can be utilized to advantage whether or not the screen is jigged. For some purposes, however, jigging of the screen is found to work out advantageously. It is accordingly a feature of the invention that rapid, small amplitude, vertical jigging or pulsation of the screen relative to the trough is provided for causing the water to surge up and down through the screen. This expedites the screening action and reduces the amount of included water in the oversize material.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the drawing forming part of this specication.

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view in sectional side elevation of a practical and advantageous separator which embodies features of the invention, the section being taken upon the line Il of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 2 is a view in transverse sectional elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing a modified structure. 'Ihe section being taken upon the line 3-3 of Fig. 4 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of apparatus generally similar to that of' Figs. 3 and 4, but in which mechanism is provided for pulsating the screen; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken upon the line 6--6 of Fig. 5 looking in the direction of the'arrows. Y

spaced transversely extending rigid, slenderv strips or deflecting plates 2. The deflecting plates 2 are in turn supported at each end beyond the lateral bounds of the open screen area by means of rigid longitudinal members 3 and 3a. The members 3 extend lengthwise from the feed end A to beyond the discharge end B and-'serve as sides to form a troughwith the screen deck as the bottom of thetrough. The longitudinal members 3 are held in spaced parallel relation by means of suitable transverse members which may belocated at opposite ends of the structure. The longitudinal members 3 are also spaced from one another by connecting them with transverse members 5. The members 5 extend across the not cover the bottom, but is interrupted so that a short, clear opening 'i is provided for delivering into the discharge chute B' all material which is too coarse to pass through the screen. The

ch-ute 8 is attached to the screen supporting fi members and serves to direct the flow of material 4 to appropriate retaining receptacles (not shown). In the form of construction illustrated in Figs. l. and 2, a structure is provided for introducing water at the introductory end from beneath the screen, so that the water is caused to pass upward through the screen Vat the very point where the material to be treated is deposited upon the screen. The water passes downward through a conduit I0 into a shallow box 9, which is open at its top immediately under the screen. The box 9 is attached to the side longitudinal screen supporting members 3, filling the space between them and. to the upper end spacing and enclosing member 4 of the screen trough.

The complete separator unit as thus far described, with the exception of the structure at the delivery end which is disposed beyond the end of the screen I is embraced by a trough I. The trough I4 comprises a bottom wall, upstanding side walls, and marginal outturned flanges. Screws 6 bear on the flanges of the trough Ill and are threaded through the members 5l so that the screen deck is adjustably supported from -the trough through the members 5 and the screws 6.- The enclosing. trough extends beyond the upper end of the screen I and includes an end wall that extends upward above the screen. The trough. serves as a ilow channel or underow deck for water and for materialwhich has passed through the screen.

The screws I5 are desirably so adjusted that a clearance space I5 is maintained between the lower edges of the deiiector plates 2 and the upper surface of the trough bottom. The adjustment of the screws 6 can be so chosen that the lower edges of the deector plates 2 are located nearer and Vnearer to the bottom of the trough I4 as the lower end of the separator is approached or, if desired, the lower edges of the deflector plates can be located farther and farther from the bottom of the trough as the lower end of the separator is approached.` Y 'l The optimum adjustment of the screen deck relative to the trough will depend upon'several factors. There is an increasing velocity of the underflow stream so that more and more water Vcan be passed in a given time through `a flow space of a given cross-sectional area as the lower endV of the stream is approached. On the other hand, water is added from above by successive sprays so that there is more and more water to be disposed of through the underflow stream as the lower end of the stream is approached.

The increasing velocity of the underflow stream tends to cause the deflectors to scoop up or denect more of the flow and divert it up through the screen. It is generally desirable, therefore, to progressively elevate the lower edges of the deiiectors above the underfiow deck surface to compensate for the effect of the increasing velocity of the underflow stream. In addition,` closer spacing of the deectors longitudinally of the separator near the discharge end maintains a condition desirable for the discharge of oversize without including an excessive quantity of water and the consequent possibility of recontamination by included undersize.

The deflecting plates 2 are inclined, being disposed to diverge in a downstreamY direction slightly away from the trough bottom in attitudes to divert a portion of the flowing water upward through the screen as described.

In operation the screening means may be supplied withwater through the inlet ID from a suitable pipe Vsystem II. The water may be delivered into the distributor box 9 at sucient pressure and in suicient volume to cause it to flow up throughthe screen area over the distributor box Q, and through the material which is delivered in regulated quantity onto the upper end of the screen from a hopper I2. The water flow sweeps up and dilutes the material, and washes it downward toward the discharge end of the screen with the undersize being flushed down through the screen into the underiiow channel I5 between the lower edges of the deflector plates 2 and the underflow deck I4. As the ow progresses over the upper screen surface, the water tends to drain down through the screen and carry the undersize particles with it. There is a suicent flow of water in the under stream beneath the deecting plates 2 to cause all the undersize material which settles out of the principal water stream to be carried away beneath the deflector plates and delivered to the discharge chute 8a.

A portion of the flowing water which has passed downward through the screen is deflected upward by the deecting plates 2 and caused to surge through the screen in an upward direction, thereby tending to agitate the material and flush out of the screen mesh particles which tend to hang in and obstruct the mesh of the screen. Since the underfiow stream carries away the settling material, the contour of the stream bed is not progressively altered during operation, and the deflecting action of the deflecting plates 2 continues to be performed with uniform efficiency for an indefinite period.

The jets I3, spaced longitudinally over, and

extending across the screen deck, and directed against the flow of material. for flushing the surface of the screen, depend more on the velocity of water discharge than upon the volume of the Water to retard and thus control the flow of material over the screen. The retardation increases the effectiveness of screening by limiting the speed of the particles. In this way the undersize Vgains time to pass through the screen. The jets also agitate the material so that it circulates advantageously, thereby permitting the selective action.

The underflow flushes the screen and removes undersize particles that pass through, thus preventing the effects of capillarity and surface tension that would otherwise restrict the movement of wet particles on and through `the screen. With proper adjustment and spacing of the underflow defiector plates 2, a portion of the underow may be caused to ush oversize material off the screen at the discharge end. The relatively large area over which this ushing and underflow water travels under the screen, and its shallow depthl favor the settling of the undersize particles, so that these particles are carried to the discharge end without objectionable recirculation up through the screen by the diversion created by the defiecting plates 2.

Underflow screen flushing depends upon the vertical adjustment of the screen I and the deflector plates 2 relative to the upper surface of the underflow deck I4. If the space beneath the deflector plates is made sufliciently deep to permit all the underflow to pass under the edges of the plates, no screen ushing will take place to assist the jet sprays I3, and the material will tend merely to accumulate upon the screen. When adjustment is such that the lower edges of the deiiector plates 2 are below the surface of the underflow, a portion, due to the velocity of flow and the angular pitch of the deflector plate, is retarded and diverted upward through the screen after which it flows back down through the screen to mingle with the retarded iioW created by the succeeding deector plate. Thus an area exists between successive defiector plates of comparatively slack water favorable for the settlement of material, under which is a flow of relatively high velocity induced by the pitch of the underflow deck that rapidly carries away and discharges the undersize material.

Blinding of the screen is minimized by the water currents, to wit., the upward ow of the underflow water, and the cleaning action of the jets. The reduced effective weight of the material which is practically maintained in fluid suspension by the underflow and the jets also helps to avoid clogging of the screen.

Close spacing of the deflector plates toward `the discharge end, as shown, causes the screen deck I to be more uniformly and eiectively flushed. so that the oversize material tends to be ilushed off by virtue of the reduced relative weight and the velocity of the water.

The construction illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 is generally similar to that of Figs. 1 and 2. The separator unit is identical, with the exception that the material hopper is slightly modified. The spray system, however, differs in some features from the spray system of Figs. 1 and 2.

In Figs. 3 and 4 the same reference characters have been employed where the parts are `unaltered with the subscript ".fv added in each instance, and no detailed description of these parts will be given.

6. fVThe'water manifold I Ix feeds a conduit I as `before for supplying water to the shallow pan e. vThe manifold IIx also feeds sprays |33: which are provided with their individual manually operable control valves I3cfc. The water is discharged through nozzles I3a, which terminate inguide plates I3bx. In this instance the streams are discharged underneath the guide plates rather than on top of them. The uppermost nozzle has its guide plate extended underneath the hopper Iza', and the spray is directed right into the material that drops from the hopper onto the screen at the point Where the water is surging upward through the screen from the shallow pan 951:.

The lowermost nozzle I3aa: is constructed like the others, except that it has a downstream outlet and a downstream guide plate I3b for directing a spray onto the delivery end of the screen to assist in driving the coarse material off of the screen and into the discharge chute 8.

Spray plates I3b constitute a continuous cover over the screen, which tends to suppress the amplitude of agitation created by the spray jets and thus hold the material in close proximity to the screen.

The form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 is desirably the same as that illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, with the exception that provision is made oi means for pulsating the screen and screen frame relative to the other separator structure.

Since the parts are in general the same as those illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4,\corresponding reference characters have been applied to parts which are unaltered with the subscript y either added or substituted for the subscript in each instance, and no detailed description of the parts so designated will be given.

A vibrator I6 having a casing I1 is supported independently of the separator structure. The vibrator may be either an electrical, pneumatic or hydraulic commercial unit and is desirably adapted to impart vibration having an amplitude of .010 inch at a rate suitable to assist in the screening action of the other means. The purpose of the vibrator is to pulsate the complete screen with its frame membersv and deflector plates independently of and relative to the underflow chute I dy.

This develops a jigging effect, creating alternate upward and downward displacement and a consequent flow through the screen that adds to and intensifies the otherwise normal delector produced flow up through and down through the screen. First, the upward surge tends to float and rearrange the material, and also to relieve blinding. Second, the downward flow is increased generally over the surface of the: screen to promote the passage of undersize through the screen. If the pulsating means have an amplitude of .O10 inch and a rate of 3600 vibrations per minute, the total displacement of water per square foot of screen can amount to as high a rate` as 360D .010 12 12=5184 cubic inches, per minute, or nearly 22.5 gallons up through and down through the screen, regardless of the quantity of flow in the underflow chute. This quantity of flow up through and down through the screen is, of course, considerably reduced by the effects of friction and inertia.

The vibrator IE is connected through a vibratory member I8 to a plate I9, and the plate I9 is in turn rigidly connected to bars 20 by bolt and nut combinations 2 I. The bars 20 are aiiixed ytrough member My have secured to them brackets 23.. to which resilient blocks 24' are made fast.

The blocks are desirably of rubber which is vul-y canized tothe brackets. The blocks 24 are also vulcanized to plates 25, to which adjusting screws iig are rotatably connected. The trough member ity is. supported from the ground, and supports theseparator structureV through the blocks 24. The separator structure can be adjusted in its normal relation. to the trough My through the adjusting screws Sy, which are threaded in the bars.'5y. This indicates one means of creating the desired pulsations.

Ifhave described what I believe to be the best embodiments of my invention. I do not wish, however, Vto be confined to the embodiments shown, but what I desire to cover by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

i 1.. A separator comprising, in combination, an inclined continuous screen,v an inclined continuously accessible trough beneath the screen into which the wash water and screened material pass directly from the screen, and thin inclined deectors disposed at intervals beneath the screen, said deflectors extending laterally throughout the Width of the screen and having their upper edges in contact with the screen, with surfaces sloping downward from the upper edges toward the introductory end of the separator and terminating so as to present their lower edges against the flow inthe trough sufiiciently above said trough to permit the lower part` of said flow to pass underneath said edges, but to divert the upper portion of said flow upward and through the screen to apportion the flow between upper and lower parallel streams. 2. A separator comprising, in combination, Yan inclined continuous screen, an inclined continuously accessible ,trough beneath the screen into which the wash Water and screened material pass directly from the screen, and thin inclined deilectors disposed at intervals beneath the screen, saiddeflectors extending laterally throughout the width of the screen and having their upper edges in contact with the screen, with surfaces sloping downward from the upper edges toward the introductory end of the separator and terminating so as to present their lower edges against the flow in the trough sufficiently above said trough to permit the lower part of said flow to pass underneath said edges, but to divert the upper lportion of said flow upward and through the screen to apportion the flow between upper and lower parallel streams, the clearance between the deflectors and the trough bottom being progressively varied from the introductory end to the delivery end of the separator, whereby the diverted flow through the screen is regulated to compensate for volumetric flow variations in the trough due to increasing velocity of the flow.

3. A separator comprising, in combination, an

inclined continuous screen, an inclined continuously accessible trough beneath the screen into which the wash water and screened material pass directly from the screen, and thin inclined deilectcrs disposed at intervals beneath the screen, said deflectors extending laterally throughout the width of the screen and having their upper edges in contact with the screen, with surfaces sloping downward from the upper edges toward the introductory end of the separator and terminating so as to present their lower edges againstthefow in the trough suiciently above said trough to permitv the lower part of said flow to pass underneath said edges, but to divert the upper portion of said flow upward and through the screen to apportion the flow between upper and lower parallel streams, the clearance between the defiectors and the trough bottom being progressively varied from the introductory end to the delivery end of the separator, and adjusting means for separately adjusting the clearance between the defiectors and the trough bottom at the opposite ends of the screen.

4. In a'separator, in combination, an inclined screen, mechanism for delivering material onto the screen at the upper end thereof, a pan disposed beneath the upper end of the screen, a conduit for delivering water to the pan, the pan having an upwardly facing opening disposed closely adjacent tothe screen immediately beneath the screen area onto which material is delivered for forcing substantially all of the overflow from the pan upward through the screen in that area, and a sloping trough disposed beneath the screen for catching, confining and guiding downward along theA screen the water delivered to the screen.

5. In a separator, in combination, an inclined screen, mechanism for delivering material onto the screen at the upper end thereof, a pan disposed beneath the upper end of the screen, a conduit for delivering water to the pan, the pan having an upwardly facing opening disposed closely adjacent to the screen immediately beneath the screenv area onto which material is delivered, for forcinggsubstantially all of the overflow from the pan upward through the screen in that area, a sloping trough for conducting the water downward along the screen, and a series of nozzles disposed Yat intervals above the screen and constructed to project water toward the upper end of the screen, the uppermost nozzle being directed to play upon the material en route to the screen.

6. In a separator, in combination, an inclined screen, mechanism for delivering material onto the screen at the upper end thereof, a pan disposed beneath the upper end of the screen, a conduit for delivering water to the pan, the pan having an upwardly facing opening disposed closely adjacent to the screen immediately beneath the screen area onto which material is delivered, for forcing substantially all of the overow from the pan upward through the screen in that area, a sloping troughy for conducting the water downward along the screen, a series of nozzles disposed at intervals above the screen and constructed to project water toward the upperV end of the screen, and a final nozzle constructed to project water toward the delivery end of the screen to sweep the oversize material off the screen.

7. Aseparator comprising, in combination, an inclined continuous screen, an inclined continuously accessible trough beneath the screen into which the wash water and screened material pass directlyv from the screen, and thin inclined deflectors disposed at intervals beneath the screen, said deflectors extending. laterally throughout the width of the screen and having their upper edges in contact with the screen, with surfaces sloping downward from the upper edges toward the introductory end of the separator and terminating so as to present their lower edges against the flow in the trough suiciently above said trough to permit the lower part of said flow to pass underneath said edges, but to divert the upper portion of said flow upward and through the screen to apportion the flow between upper and lower parallel streams, the screen and the deectors jointly forming a screen unit, and adjusting mechanism for adjusting the slope of the screen unit relative to the trough.

8. A separator comprising, in combination, an inclined screen, an inclined uninterrupted trough beneath the screen for catching and conning the total iluid flow, deecting plates disposed at intervals beneath the screen to divert a portion of said 110W upward through the screen, the trough defining an underilow space beneath the deectng plates through which settled material is ushed away to the end of the trough, a rigid support for the trough, connecting means between `the trough and the screen, and a vibrator for pulsating the screen relative to the rigidly xed trough substantially vertically through a range of small amplitude and at audio frequency.

AMOS SEARLES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are o1.' record in the ille of this patent:

Number 10 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Behr Aug. 9, 1881 Rockteschel May 7, 1895 Christensen Feb. 16, 1897 Shmelei Oct. 16, 1906 Akins Mar. 115, 1910 Hughes Dec. 24, 1912 Sturtevant Sept. 9, 1913 Cole Sept. 22, 1914 Fraser Oct. 24, 1916 Hawkins Aug. 5, 1919 Crocker Nov. 20, 1923 Allen Sept. 25, 1928 Weston Nov. 12, 1929 Hoyois Aug. 20, 1940 Ellen Dec. 23, 1941 

